July 2013 Current Events: Disasters & Science News

Here are the key events in Science and Disasters news for the month of July 2013.

Plane Crashes in San Francisco Killing Three and Injuring Dozens (July 6): A passenger jet of Asiana Airlines crashes at the San Francisco international Airport while attempting to land. The plane, traveling from Seoul, South Korea, catches fire. Three people are killed. More than 180 others are injured and taken to various San Francisco hospitals. The cause of the plane crash is not clear. The National Transportation Safety Board begins an investigation immediately.

A Train in Quebec Derails and Explodes (July 6): In Lac-Megantic, Quebec, an unattended runaway train carrying crude oil derails and explodes. Fifty people are missing and presumed dead. Thirty buildings are destroyed. The engineer left the train to take a break, engaging the breaks before he left.

Paris Train Derails, Killing at Least Six (July 12): A passenger train from Paris travels south and slams into a station platform. At least six people are killed and a dozen more are seriously injured. The train provides regional service. The accident happens at the Bretigny-sur-Orge station, 16 miles south of Paris, France.

Spain Has Worst Train Crash in Decades (July 24): A passenger train derails and crashes in northwest Spain, just outside of Santiago de Compostela. At least 78 people are killed and dozens more are injured. Investigators are looking into the reason for the incident, although early reports have said that the train was traveling at an excessive speed, taking a curve at more than twice the speed limit just before it derailed.